Homemaking: Freezing Sweet Corn (How-To)

Saturday, after working out in the morning, I spent the next few hours processing sweet corn! I had two bushels to do! The children shucked all the corn for me...

While they brought them in, I had water boiling inside the house. I put the corn in the pot and brought it to a rolling boil again...

 Immediately, after boiling the ears for three minutes, into ice water they went...

This is called blanching the corn. Next, I took the corn off the cobs using a tool I have from Pampered Chef (but really, any sharp knife will do....I've done it that way too before)...

Label freezer bags so you know exactly what is in there when you go to take the corn out of the freezer in the future...

Using a measuring a cup, I scooped the kernels into the bags...

Finished!

From all those ears of corn (8 dozen) this was all that came from it...

I know it seems like a lot of work for such a small amount of corn...but come winter, it will taste delicious to include this sweet corn with suppers!

Freezing corn can be a bit tedious...but it is not difficult. If you have a chance, I highly encourage you to try it! You can't beat that fresh corn taste in the middle of winter (with feet of snow outside)! :) I have also canned corn before ~ but I prefer the taste of frozen sweet corn more! :)

If you have any questions...please feel free to comment here or email me! I would be happy to help!
The sun is shining here today....I taught spin this morning, homeschooled the rest of the morning and soon, we'll be at the swimming pool with friends! :) I hope your day is grand! Thanks so much for visiting!

Cheerfully,
Katy

Linked up at: Strangers & Pilgrims

Thrifting Finds, My Birthday, & Home

I had to run some errands yesterday and I thought I would just pop into Goodwill and browse for a few minutes while I was out and about! I am so glad I did! I found some great items! The first thing is this neat, old-fashioned bingo wheel with wooden bingo balls in it! It screamed *great decoration piece* at me and I had to pick it up for just a few dollars!

I also found this great storage box, sturdy basket and some organizing things...

My sister, her girls, my mom and my aunt all came to visit on my birthday (a couple days ago). I forgot to get my camera out (until later in the day and I took a picture of these great, fun balloons my aunt brought me)...

We had a nice time visiting and the children played. My mom is still healing after her accident and it was so nice to have her here to chat with us! :) I got some fun gifts...sloth earrings, books I had wanted and cloth napkins. Chris came home after work and took me out for a salad for my birthday as well. We don't eat out so it was a fun treat! :)

Supper last night was fresh, delicious sweet corn...

A beautiful print of scripture I need to put in a frame...

The days have been busy, busy lately. I enjoy when I have times of slow, quiet rest in between...

I do not mean to wish time away at all...but I must admit that I already have fall scented candles burning in my home! :) It's suppose to be nearing 90* these next few days though and it's definitely not going to *feel* like fall yet...but I long for the cooler (less humid) days! I love sweater weather! Quilts, pumpkins, leaves, apples, cider, and that wood-burning scent in the air...Mmm...just a few of the reasons I love autumn!

For now though, we're going to try to stay cool while getting things accomplished! Sometimes I feel overwhelmed at all that must get done and then I sit back, thank the Lord that He is stretching me and strive to do all that I can for His glory.

I hope your weekend is God-glorifying and enjoyable!
Thank you for visiting me here!
Warmly,
Katy

Linked up at: Make it Pretty Monday

An Organized Cleaning Closet

The cleaning closet is finished! After all these years of dreaming of a nice, tidy, organized place for my cleaning supplies, I can rejoice because it is finally here! :) I showed a picture of it in my previous post but now we have the broom/mop hanger on the door as well to finish it off! Plus, these pictures are a bit brighter and show into the closet a little better! :)

Chris has been so amazing these past 8 months. He (with our brother-in-law)finished the addition (making the new living room, mud room and laundry room), ran new pipes for the washing machine (that were underground and a pain!), rebuilt the outside door to the cellar, made shelves for me and my cleaning closet...and has put the new door knobs on the doors (as well as much more that I am forgetting!)...

I am just so, so thankful for such a handy, talented husband. I seriously think he can do just about anything he puts his mind to. He has saved us so much money by doing things himself. He is *such* a blessing to me! We still have some more to do...such as finish the laundry room closet (for coats and shoes) and things...but seeing his momentum to get things done encourages me that it will happen soon! It's such a great feeling! :) We need to start preparing for winter and colder weather too. This means splitting, chopping and stacking wood. Time to fill the wood shed! :)

Today is a beautiful day....sunshine and clear skies. I am thankful for it, truly! We got the rain we really needed a few days ago and now the Lord is blessing us with these beautiful days! Tomorrow is my birthday and I think my sister and her girls are coming over to spend the afternoon with us! Yay! I'm looking forward to it!

The days are still really busy lately...with homeschooling, teaching spin/exercising, housework, checking on my mom (thank you for your thoughts and prayers for her), and such...but the Lord is really teaching me how to get out of my comfort zone...and that it's *okay*! I've been reading scripture and some other books and have learned and been convicted of much lately too...I plan on sharing that in an upcoming post if time permits. Maybe you will find encouragement and conviction in what I share then as well!?

Before I go...I also wanted to share that I have just put some fall stickers in my shop...

I have also been working on transferring my bullet journal into my filofax planner! I love the dot grid set up of designing my own pages as in a bujo...but I also love the freedom to move, take out, or change things in a filofax system...so I decided to get the best of both worlds. I found dot grid paper and have started using it in my filofax! :) You can see a picture of it on my instagram HERE. I want to get it set up a bit better before posting about it though! :) I am so excited to have the best of both worlds with it!

Well, I gotta get some housework done and then teach a spin class later this afternoon. I best get movin'! I hope your day is just fantastic! Thanks for dropping by!

Cheerfully,
Katy :)

Linked up at: One Project at a Time and Strangers & Pilgrims and Make it Pretty Monday

Updated Laundry Room Pictures & X turns 13!

Amongst the busyness here as of late (see my previous post for those details) I have been homeschooling the children, keeping up with housework, painting doors and things, teaching spin and other craziness which has me feeling like a crazy woman! ;) Thus, the lack of posting this past week. Life has just been zaney...but still *good*.

God is good and as He stretches me, I am learning *much*. Although I wouldn't want to be this busy *all* the time, it's okay for now. He gives strength and energy that I don't have on my own. He has also given me great sisters in Christ who have been wonderfully helpful. :)

Although Chris has been busier than usual as well, he found time to make my shelf for above the washer and dryer! I painted it earlier today and he put it up this evening! I was so excited I had to take some pictures to share! :) It's rough and rugged looking but that is just my style! We still have to finish putting trim around the windows in the laundry room...but we'll get there eventually! ;)

Chris also finished my cleaning closet! Yippee! I just love it! The last thing to do is to hang a broom/mop holder that I have on the door. That will get those out of the way and the vacuum can fit better back in that space! On the top shelf I have room for my white vinegar (one of my favorite cleaning tools), castile soap, and bleach (which I don't use much but it's nice to have if I *do* need it). The next shelf is for paper towels and toilet paper storage. Then below that I have my cleaning rags and such in baskets...as well as baking soda, washing soda and the like. I also keep extra tissues on a shelf as well as my cleaning caddy. On the bottom is where we keep Chris and Xavier's water jugs and lunch buckets...

I have always wanted a utility sink! This one is just fantastic! :) At some point, Chris hopes to build a bit of a counter next to it (where the step stool is). That way it will be easier to wash eggs from the chickens there and such...

Also this past week....we celebrated 13 years of life for this boy!!!

I can hardly believe I have two teenagers in the house (and in a few more years I'll have THREE teens! Wow!). I'm so thankful for my Xavier. He is such a blessing in our lives and we praise God for the thirteen years we have had with him so far!

He was working at my dad's garage on his birthday so I surprised him by ordering pizza and Jaxson and I made him a cake...

Remember this sweet kitty that I talked about HERE? Well, sadly, she went back home this past Monday. Her family was glad to have her back but I miss her sweetness!

She slept in some of the cutest positions...

And a *just because* sort of photo of my Stella-Cat...

It's getting late...and I really should head to bed. Today has been a bit more relaxed for me, which was nice. We schooled in the morning, did chores and a bit of relaxing in the afternoon and then I taught a spin class this evening. Another day begins tomorrow, Lord willing, and I look forward to it!

I hope your week has been going well! I hope you'll visit me here again soon!

Joyfully,
Katy

Linked up at: Strangers & Pilgrims

"In all states of dilemma or of difficulty...

...prayer is an available source. The ship of prayer may sail through all temptations, doubts and fears, straight up to the throne of God; and though she may be outward bound with only griefs, and groans and sighs, she shall return freighted with a wealth of blessings!"

~ Charles Spurgeon

This past week has been a trying and exhausting one. The Lord has been so good to us though and I praise Him in the trials! Here's what's been happening. This past Saturday, my cousin got married. Devon had fun using her polaroid camera to take mini-pictures of couples! Here is the one she took of Chris and me...

Sunday was church...then that evening ~ I get a phone call that my mom had been out riding (by herself) and was thrown from her horse. She had a concussion and didn't know exactly where she was. This was at dusk and the idea of trying to find her seemed overwhelming as she could be one of a bazillion places when out riding!

God, in His beautiful goodness, graciously fixed this for us! As I am driving to her place (trying VERY hard not to speed) I get another call from Chris and my Brother in Law (who were ahead of me and communicating with my dad) letting me know that the horse had gotten back to the barn and that an acquaintance (while out filling up water at a spring in a field) had found mom on the ground. He thought (from a distance) that she was a turkey...but then realized that was *no* turkey. My dad, Chris and my BIL got there with me close behind. She was nauseated and in a lot of pain. We didn't want to move her for fear of hurting her more. We called 911 and the ambulance & medics arrived and transferred her to a local hospital (in the next town over). My sister who had arrived by then, my aunt and I followed the ambulance to the hospital. To make a long story short ~ she was transferred to a bigger hospital a few  hours away and we found that she had broken two ribs and punctured a lung (which was partially collapsed). She has been being monitored and cared for at that hospital and we are hoping she will get to come home soon (although she will still be down a while...needing to rest and heal).

To make her more comfortable when she gets home, my sister and her girls met us at our parents' home to clean and tidy it. We want it to be nice for her to just walk in and be able to rest with no stress. Church family, friends and loved ones have offered to make meals so we have the next week full of meals for supper set up! Such a blessing! It is a beautiful thing to watch people be the hands and feet of Christ!

While at my mom's, I organized her pantry (isn't that old door fantastic?). I didn't have my camera to take a before picture so I brought it the next day I went to her house so I could at least take an *after* picture! :) I just love looking at it (is that strange?)....

As I said before, my sister and her girls came down to help too. Audra found a little new testament to *read*...

Madelyn found this school picture of me from 11th grade. She kept going on about how adorable I was...and that I look the same! Ha! I'll take that! This was 18 years ago!

So, life has been a bit crazy in these here parts. So much to juggle and lots of running around. Speaking of running...in the midst of all this, I went out for a run yesterday and halfway through ~ wouldn't you know, I got stung just above my sock line. It hurt terribly and I limped home. I have put lavender essential oil on it as well as ice...but now my foot is swollen and terribly uncomfortable. It's not a huge deal but it sure did happen at the worst time! Ay yi yi! ;)

In other quick news....I have been homeschool planning (as we hope to start our school year this Monday coming up) and I have found a new way to organize our books. Each year I try something to see if it works...but I haven't ever been 100% thrilled with any of the previous methods. This year, I am trying this...

Each child has a vertical row...and each subject has a slot. Everything can be gotten (and put away neatly) with each use! Plus, I will have all books readily available to me each week as I am planning out our days! :)

I used my trusty labeler to label the subjects...

And since the organizer has taken the place of our printer, I had to find it a new home! It is now housed in our old television hutch in the old living room (which is now the school room/library)...

So, as you can see ~ we have been really busy lately. If you have made it to the bottom of this post, thanks for sticking with me! I gotta run though....it's late and I haven't eaten supper yet (my stomach is growling!).

Thank you for coming by and for your lovely comments and emails! They truly encourage me so!

Warmly,
Katy

Linked up at The WholeHearted Home and A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Kitten-Sitting Adventures

Friends of ours went to visit family for a week and a half. They have a new kitten and asked if we would *kitten-sit* for them. I (after checking with Chris) enthusiastically agreed! She is three pounds of absolute cuteness! Her fur is incredibly soft and she is just so fun! :) She lays in some of the strangest positions and I couldn't help but take a picture each time! I don't know *how* that position (in the photo above) can be comfortable!?

Cash, Stella and Winnie (our dog and two cats) are very curious about her...but she wants nothing to do with them. Despite her super friendly, sweet demeanor, anytime one of the other animals gets near her she growls and hisses! It's humorous! She seems to have a "queen" mentality! :)

She seems to like laying in this spot on the sofa...look at her crazy positions!

She likes to curl atop my chair as well...

She loves to be here too...

...and what cat doesn't love a nice window seat?

Hehe...up on her tippy-toes...

"Snuggling" with Chris's scanners *grin*...

 She discovered this chair yesterday afternoon and decided it would be a great resting spot as well...

She is so playful and fun...we love having her here! :) Our friends come home a week from tomorrow. Giving her back will not be easy! Oh! I almost forgot to tell you her name! It's Galilea! Isn't that pretty?

I gotta run! Another busy day planned! Have a lovely weekend friends!
Warmly,
Katy :)

Linked up at The WholeHearted Home